


Silver-Tongued Devil

by DoctorBane



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Immortal Hulk
Genre: Brian Banner's A+ Parenting, Child Abuse, Gen, Past Child Abuse, Patricide, domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28822146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorBane/pseuds/DoctorBane
Summary: "You aren't a monster, kid. You're a frightened little boy who just wants his daddy to love him. He never will, because some people are just mean that way. But you and Guardian, will always have me. I will always love you and protect you."Bruce and Guardian meet a silver-tongued snake who promises to always love them.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Silver-Tongued Devil

**Author's Note:**

> Hope this isn't too traumatic for people.

Bruce can hear his parents arguing downstairs. The noise invades his brain, and Guardian is restless beside him. They hold onto one another, shaking.  
Dad is drunk, screaming at Mom.  
"Brian, stop it. You're going to scare Bruce!"  
"Monsters don't get scared! The filthy little mutant. He's five years old Rebecca! What's he doing reading Paradise Lost?" Something crashes, and Bruce can here loud unsteady feet coming up the stairs. Guardian stiffens, a low growl coming from his throat.  
"Brian, he's just looking at the pictures, that's all. Besides, what does it matter if he can read it? Curiosity is good for children that age!" The footsteps stop for a minute, then continue.  
"Get off me, you fucking bitch! He needs to be punished! The little freak just wants to replace me!" The bedroom door flies open and Dad stands at the door frame, the stink of beer and cigarettes filling the room, his face contorted with rage and... something else. If Bruce didn't know any better, he'd almost think his Daddy was frightened of him. But hadn't he said monsters don't get scared?  
"You're unnatural! A freak! Where do you get off reading a book like that?" Dad stumbles over and lifts Bruce up by the shirt, his feet leaving the ground. Bruce tries to wriggle away, and in his panic he kicks Daddy in the face. Guardian is roaring, trying to get Bruce down.  
"Brian, put him down!" Bruce's Mommy cries, trying to grab him. Dad throws a drunken punch which hits her in the throat, and she collapses in a coughing heap.  
"Trying to get away, little monster?" Dad growls, breathing poisonous fumes all over Bruce. Bruce thought it was the stink of demons.

After Daddy had left, Mommy comes and holds Bruce. Guardian sits on the bed sullen, knowing she can't see him. Bruce has fresh bruises on his arms and legs, meaning he'll have to wear long sleeves until they go away. 

Eventually Mom went to bed. She didn't want to leave Bruce, but Bruce insisted he was fine. In reality he isn't, but he just wants to comfort Guardian. Guardian isn't always seen, but is often heard by Bruce. He only appears when Bruce is very unhappy or scared.  
"Hey Guardian, you want me to read more?" Guardian nods, but says "Book makes Daddy mad."

Guardian relaxes as Bruce reads to him, on the verge of falling asleep. Bruce is also relaxing, so much so that at first he doesn't notice when the snake in the book begins to move.  
"Hey there, guys."  
Bruce looks at the snake. "Hey?" he says back, curiously. "Who are you?"  
"Who am I?" the snake replies. "Well, lets just say I've been a part of you for a while now."  
"A part of me? Like Guardian?" Bruce says, looking at Guardian sleeping next to him, arms wrapped around Bruce's waist.  
"Exactly. We're all you, and you're all me," the snake replies kindly. He slithers out of the book and lays himself on Guardian's chest. Guardian lets out a quiet happy sound, and wriggles a bit.  
"So, what do you do?" Bruce asks the snake. "Guardian tries to help me and Mom from Dad, but he's little."  
"Well," says the snake, his deep voice reverberating, "I'm the daddy you need. The one who will always be there for you." Bruce looks at him, confused.  
"But I already have a daddy," he says.  
"He isn't your daddy, kiddo. Not a good one. Good dads don't hurt their kids, or call them monsters," the snake says.  
"Mine does. I guess he's probably right, I mean if I'm a snake," Bruce says. The snake looks at him sadly.  
"You aren't a monster, kid. You're a frightened little boy who just wants his daddy to love him. He never will, because some people are just mean that way. But you and Guardian, will always have me. I will always love you and protect you." The snake slithers closer, and rests on Bruce.  
"I don't deserve it," Bruce whispers, tears leaking down his face. "I'm a freak. I wish I would just die, then everything would be better!" He sobs quietly, and Guardian awakes. Seeing Bruce crying, Guardian also cries, and holds him close.  
"That is a lie, sweetheart," the snake whispers tenderly. "You are not a freak, or a monster, or anything he says you are. You are my darling boys, both of you. You deserve love. You deserve safety. I can give you that safety, if you just let me."  
Still sniffling, Bruce stutters "L-let you?"  
"That's right, my angel. You just have to let me out, and you'll never need to worry about Daddy ever again." The snake's voice drops again to a whisper, but this time with a hint of venom. "Let me out, and I'll kill him for you."

* * * 

Over forty years later, Bruce wonders why he turned down the snake's offer that day. Was it out of love for his father? Was it because he thought that one day, maybe his daddy would finally love him back? Or was it because he was scared of the snake that spoke so softly to him, with such gentle kindness that he felt he didn't deserve? Whatever the case, it mattered not. His father was long dead, his mother too. Bruce knew he had killed him, or rather the snake had.  
And while he once would have been sad about it, now he isn't. 

Because the snake really was right. His father never loved him, because he was just mean that way.


End file.
